


First Meetings

by EverybodyLovesEggsy



Series: Love is a Process [2]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Developing Friendships, First Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 17:18:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17902286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverybodyLovesEggsy/pseuds/EverybodyLovesEggsy
Summary: These are the stories of how Merlin, Harry, and James met Percival. First chapter describes how he was recruited and then the rest are after he becomes Percival.





	1. Anthony Richards/Lancelot (previous to James)

**Author's Note:**

> So none of these are in Percival's POV, and the first chapter actually is by an original character's POV but the rest are all in Merlin, Harry or James's POVs.  
> Hope you guys enjoy!

Kingsman had become undoubtedly prejudicial against anyone not of an elite, white background. Anthony Richards had realized that the day after he became Lancelot. Like his coworkers, he himself was from an elite family from London. However, the difference between him and his fellow knights? He was disowned for becoming a mere tailor, or so his family thought, rather than continuing the family business. Due to the circumstance of his disownment, the changes in how Anthony was treated were subtle. But nonetheless recognizably there. Some looked at him with pity. Others began to talk down to him. Although slight, it was just enough for him to notice the change, and had he been disowned for any other reason, he was sure those changes would be much less subtle. Had he not already been named Lancelot, Anthony suspected he would have been pushed out of the running. No longer did most of the members of Kingsman consider him a full equal. Even though Kingsman was the reason for his disownment.

Eyes opened, Anthony decided that he was going to help change the prejudice because Kingsman is an ideal that cannot be held up solely by an the ‘high class’ of England. Especially not with the way society has changed since Kingsman was established.

So, when the position for Percival opened up, Anthony took a chance and proposed a man who had been disowned for years.

About a decade after becoming Lancelot, he had heard about a boy getting disowned and had felt pity. While Anthony had been disowned at an age that meant he would be able to continue living the luxuries he grew up with, this boy was about to lose those luxuries before he had a chance to earn them for himself. All the while facing judgement for being disowned and discrimination for his sexuality. So, remembering being impressed by the young man’s ability to afford a down payment on a flat and quick ability to find a job – while most his age coming from his background would have absolutely no self-earned money to take with them, let alone any idea how to provide for themselves – Anthony looked into one Michael Oliver Thomas. Happily surprised by not only the young man’s obvious determination and intellect, but also his ability with a sniper, Anthony decided that Michael would be the first step to make Kingsman better.

It was an extremely small step in his mission to end the prejudice of Kingsman, but Anthony knew that you had to walk before you could run.

And nine months later, Anthony was able to see Michael, a young man he had become quite fond of, become the first agent in Kingsman’s recent history to have been named without being able to claim the title of one of England’s elite.


	2. Aodhan Finlay/Merlin (before he becomes Merlin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin's perspective on meeting Percival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to the timeline I constructed, Merlin is not actually Merlin yet so I will be using the name Aodhan (which I made Merlin's real name). His codename pre-Merlin is Emrys, but I consistently use Aodhan and only reference the name Emrys twice.

Aodhàn Finlay was used to prejudice. He was the second son of a poor family who was from a small, poor town in Scotland. His father and older brother worked in a factory and his mother was a secretary for a small business in town. Aodhàn and his younger sister were still in school, but Aodhàn knew he was expected to follow in his brother’s footsteps in order to help provide for their family. However, unlike his brother, at the age of fourteen, Aodhàn finished secondary school two years early and was offered a full scholarship to a university. Wanting more for both himself and his family, Aodhàn decided to break expectation and left home for university. He knew he wasn’t earning anything for his family at the moment, but at least they had one less mouth to feed while he was in school.

Between his accent and the fact that he was a scholarship boy, Aodhàn faced prejudice from both teachers and his fellow students. So, by the time he graduated, four years later and at the top of his class with a degree in computer science and an engineering minor, he was more used than used to being treated like he was lesser.

Which is why, when he was recruited into Kingsman to be part of the tech team at the age of eighteen, he was unsurprised that most of the staff judged him as soon as he arrived. He quickly proved himself to his fellow tech staff – which he did by creating a surveillance and communication system through a pair of glasses within his first month of working – and gained their respect; however, he did notice that while his fellow tech staff could respect him, the agents did not respect anyone not of their ilk and looked down on him even more than the rest due to his accent.

So, Aodhàn resigned himself to being a part of yet another institution of prejudice, but was just as determined to prove those discriminations wrong as he was in university.

And it was with this mindset that somehow had Aodhàn befriending one Harry Hart. For some reason, after snapping at the man’s arrogance due to one sleepless night too many, Harry inserted himself into Aodhàn’s life and slowly became less arrogant and more tolerable. It was through Harry that Aodhàn met Anthony Richards and realized that perhaps Kingsman wasn’t as prejudiced as he thought. Not when men like Anthony were working to fix it.

So, Aodhàn found himself with not only one but two people he could call friends, which he hadn’t had since the days before university, even as he rose through the ranks, becoming a handler with the codename Emrys only four years after being recruited compared to most people’s ten.

And seven years after becoming a handler, Aodhàn was surprised to find himself celebrating with Anthony and Harry that Anthony’s proposal – some disowned posh man that Harry didn’t seem to either like or dislike – took the mantle of Percival, being the first step in moving Kingsman away from the prejudiced pick of agents. However, even after nine months with the new Percival, Aodhàn had yet to actually meet the man. He knew what Percival looked like and heard plenty about him through Anthony, but he hadn’t yet handled any of his missions. Unsurprising really, considering he was in training to become Merlin by the end of the year, meaning he was handling less missions than before. Especially since most handlers refused to take Harry on – and when Aodhàn asked why Harry only smirked – leaving half of the missions Aodhàn handled to be Harry’s. So, when Aodhàn finally found himself with one of Percival’s missions assigned to him, nine months after Percival had been instated, he was surprised to have the younger man enter his office.

In the middle of working on one of the many pieces of tech in his office, Aodhàn barley glanced up to see that it was Percival who had come into his office. The man didn’t say anything at first, seemingly content to watch Aodhàn work. It wasn’t until Percival had been watching him in consideration for a few minutes did he break the silence between them without looking up.

“Percival, yes? I assume ye came in here for some reason besides watching me work?”

“Yes, sorry. I was told you were to be my handler for my next mission and thought it important to meet the man who was going to be in my ear.”

Aodhàn looked up in surprise, not used to people going out of their way to meet him unless they needed something. Or they were Anthony or Harry. He was especially shocked since the only agents to give the handlers the time of day were Anthony and Harry. Aodhàn truly looked at the man in front of him for the first time and Percival returned his scrutiny smoothly.

Aodhàn looked away after a minute, returning to work on the device in front of him and truthfully told him, “There are nae many agents that go out of their way to talk to handlers outside of a mission.”

“And most other agents are fools. Why shouldn’t I give my time to learn about the people who will keep me alive?”

Aodhàn smirked, “I’d be careful calling the other agents fools if I were you. Wouldn’t want to burn any bridges in this line of work.”

“I’m not the one who’s burning bridges.”

Aodhàn hummed and tinkered with the device in front of him for a moment longer before setting his tools down and standing up. He then walked over to the younger man and held out a hand to shake.

“That is something I can understand. Glad to finally meet you Percival.”

Percival shook his hand firmly, “Good to finally be working with you, Emrys. Galahad and Lancelot have said good things about you.”

“Gossips, the lot of them,” Aodhàn said with a roll of his eyes.

Percival laughed, “I’m not sure about Lancelot, but with Galahad I completely agree.

Aodhàn smirked and decided that he could very easily get to like this Percival, no matter what Harry has to say.

********

A couple of days later, Percival was sent out on mission with Aodhàn guiding him. The mission, a simple long-distance assassination, had started out well. Percival easily blended into the crowd as he made his way to his position, then, after a few minutes of waiting for the target to come into Percival’s line of sight, the target was taken out. As expected, when leaving his position, Aodhàn had to guide Percival out due to people converging on Percival’s location. As Aodhàn guided Percival out of the building he was in, he couldn’t help but notice how Percival reacted to Aodhàn’s instructions without any hesitation whatsoever. By reacting so quickly, Percival was showing complete trust in Aodhàn’s ability on their first mission together, which Aodhàn couldn’t help but be impressed. Even Harry had to adjust to having Aodhàn as his handler for their first couple of missions together before the man had been able to react as instantly as Percival was.

However, everything went tits up when Percival entered a room that had no cameras that Aodhàn had access to and was met with a group of men armed to the teeth. As soon as they saw Percival, they pointed their weapons at him, but Percival was faster. Aodhàn watched as he quickly took out the half a dozen men with seemingly no problem.

However, once they were dispatched, Percival looked down and, through the glasses feed, Aodhàn saw that one of the men had gotten lucky enough to get a knife into Percival’s abdomen.

“Emrys, I do believe I may need an extraction”, Percival told him calmly as he placed his hand over the wound.

“Acknowledged, Percival. They’re twenty minutes out so I need to get ye somewhere ye can safely wait.”

At Percival’s nod, Aodhàn guided him to a small closet near the roof access so that back-up would be able to get to him quickly once they got there by helicopter. As soon as he was there with the door shut, Percival unceremoniously dropped to the floor, wincing for the first time since he was stabbed.

“Sit tight and stay awake, Percival. The extraction team is only ten minutes out.”

Percival hummed shifted with another wince.

“Emrys?”

“Yes?”

“Remind me never to get stabbed again. It sucks.”

Aodhàn laughed abruptly, briefly distracted from his worry for the agent, having not expected the joke, “I did nae recommend it in the first place.”

“Yes, well, it is not where I expected to end up after coming out of the army.”

“Where did ye expect to be?” Aodhàn asked, partly to make sure Percival stayed conscious despite the blood loss, and partly because he was genuinely curious.

“I don’t know. I thought about moving out of England, finding somewhere without so much baggage. Perhaps Amsterdam. But leaving my sister and my niece and nephew would have been hard. Either way I would have gotten some job, not necessarily something I’d love right away, but definitely something where I didn’t have to live from paycheck to paycheck anymore. What about you?”

“Pretty much the same. Not the moving part. I already did that when I came to London. But pretty much the same for the nae living from paycheck to paycheck. I wanted something that could help support my family in Scotland. Get them out of poverty. Though they’ve been doing better since I left.”

Percival hummed, “It’s nice to finally talk to someone who can understand that. As great as Lancelot and Galahad are, neither can really understand.”

Before Aodhàn could respond, the extraction team showed up and proceeded to get Percival patched up and on the helicopter. He considered what Percival said and found himself agreeing with the man. It was nice to finally have someone to relate to. Made being surrounded by people who don’t understand just that much easier. It was that realization that Aodhàn decided he definitely liked Percival.

And when Percival recovered, he requested Aodhàn to be his primary handler – when Aodhàn asked why, Percival simply shrugged – and Aodhàn figured Percival thought the same.


	3. Harry Hart/Galahad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry's perspective of meeting Percival

Harry Hart first became Galahad at the age of twenty-two. He easily fit in, surrounded by people of the same class and background. He even considered himself one of them. However, it wasn’t until he met a young, unmistakably Scottish man in the tech department – who had some choice words for the arrogance of ‘people like him’ – did he realize that he didn’t consider any of them friends. He grew up like them, lived like them, acted like them, even _understood_ them. But he wasn’t truly one of them.

As if meeting the Scot wiped away a fog that had been in front of him, Harry noticed how differently Lancelot was treated, even if it was subtle. And that was all it took for him to realize that he didn’t want to be one of them. Lancelot was a man he always considered respectable through his own merits, not because of who his family is. A man Harry always thought easier to get along with than the rest of them. And he was looked down on, just because he no longer had any formal claim to elitism. Because he was disowned for becoming a Kingsman.

So, after just less than a year of being Galahad, Harry stopped trying to be one of them. Instead, he befriended the Scot, Aodhàn was his name, and Lancelot. Aodhàn because it seemed the man needed a friend as much as he did – and Harry appreciated the man’s brutal honesty, which was often hard to find in his experience. Lancelot – Anthony – because the man was the only agent Harry found actually respectable, and not arrogant in the elitist way that he could now see that Aodhàn had been talking about. Especially now that he understood the man’s drive to end the prejudice – which both Aodhàn and Anthony faced, though Aodhàn undoubtedly more so – that he finally realized was imbedded within Kingsman.

And then Anthony proposed one Michael Oliver Thomas for Percival.

The first time Harry Hart had heard of Michael, Harry had been a Kingsman agent for five years. Like anybody with a connection in the elitist world Harry grew up in, he heard about Michael’s disownment. He watched, and shared, Anthony’s admiration for the boy’s ability to stay on his feet. He also respected the young man’s strength in ‘coming out’, despite knowing the most probable outcome was going to be disownment, while he himself has kept his own bisexuality hidden. So, five years after that, when candidates for Percival were requested, he listened to Anthony go on and on about how Michael would be the perfect person to help take that first step towards ending the prejudice. Harry could only agree after seeing the man’s resumé.

What he wasn’t impressed by was the man’s chip on his shoulder – likely due to years of upper class sneering for being disowned and quite possible lower class sneering for being posh on top of discrimination for his sexuality. While agreeing that Michael was a good fit for Percival, that he’d make a fantastic agent, especially with his long-distance shooting skills, Harry couldn’t find it in him to like the man himself, even after Michael slowly smoothed out that chip. He didn’t dislike him, but had yet to find a reason beyond skill to like Michael.

Which was fine, considering the man, once instated as Percival, didn’t seem to like or dislike Harry any more than Harry felt about him after Anthony officially introduced them. So, Harry remained cordial with Percival, and Percival returned the sentiment, because they both found themselves to be very good friends with Anthony.

But then a year later, Anthony was killed on a mission.

As much as Harry and Percival were just acquaintances, Harry was unsurprised to find himself sharing a drink with the man, only a few hours after the table’s toast to a fallen agent. As much as they weren’t really friends, Harry found comfort in sharing a drink with a friend of Anthony’s. Harry is unsure of how long they sat in silence, when Percival finally spoke up.

“He told me to give you a chance, you know. Really respected you. Thought you were a good man, but an even better friend.”

Harry glanced over in surprise, “He said much the same about you.”

“Well it seems he finally got his wish. I always found drinking to be an activity done with a friend,” Percival smiled slightly.

Harry chuckled and shook his head, “Yes, it only took him dying for us to finally be more than cordial with each other.”

Percival laughed softly before downing the rest of his drink. There was more silence between them that Harry broke this time.

“Do you know who you are going to propose for his title?”

“No clue. I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that the next time I call someone Lancelot, it won’t be Anthony,” Percival paused to stare at the remaining ice in his glass before looking over at Harry, “Do you?”

Harry nodded and finished his drink, “There’s a man that was suggested to me by a friend in the army. Shows exceptional talent with a pistol, and quite a bit of potential in hand-to-hand. And he’s from a less than elite background.”

“Ah. You don’t think it’s too soon to propose someone with even less standing than I have?”

Harry finally looked over at Percival, “When Anthony proposed you, I asked him why he picked someone from the elite class at all and he said ‘you have to learn to walk before you can run’. So Anthony got us walking. I think its quite fitting to have his death get us running.”

Harry watched as the man next to him consider what he said before grabbing the bottle of brandy they had and pouring them each a refill. Percival lifted his glass in a toast.

“To running, then.”

“To running”, Harry smirked and lifted his glass in agreement, tossing back the drink, “Now, I think its time we make sure Aodhàn doesn’t bury himself in his work to cope. We’ll even surprise him by showing up together.”

“I’m pretty sure he is going to argue that our drinking is just as much a coping mechanism as him working,” Percival told him, even as he stood up to follow Harry out.

Harry smiled, comforted by the fact that Anthony would be more than happy that two of the people he cared about were able to find friendship in his death and continue to work towards his dream of an unprejudiced Kingsman.


	4. James/Lancelot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James's perspective on meeting Percival

“Welcome to Kingsman… Lancelot.”

“Sir”, James Spencer nodded sadly to Galahad as he shook the man’s hand.

Despite having been his competition, he had considered Lee a friend. He was a good man and, with his action to sacrifice himself like he did, James could see the man had been far more deserving of the position than himself. James internally sighed and followed Merlin and Galahad out of the room and back to the helicopter.

While both Galahad and Lee had immediately moved to cover the grenade, Merlin and himself had ducked out of the way. James knew that due to Merlin’s position behind their hostage’s back, the man would not have been able to do anything. But James had just as much a clear view and opportunity as Lee and Galahad to cover the grenade. And yet he didn’t. Perhaps that was proof that where you came from didn’t matter, unlike what the other trainees had thought, himself included at one point – before he realized that Lee was just as much competition as the rest of them, though he did learn that rather quickly compared to the others. It made James wonder why Kingsman was obviously mainly made up of rich men from good-standing families. Except for Merlin, and possibly Percival.

That thought instantly had James thinking about Percival. When James had first seen him, he assumed the man was also from a wealthy family, but he didn’t carry himself like he was, making James curious. The man had obviously disliked him – which James really couldn’t blame him for, considering his show of cockiness during hand-to-hand combat training – but James couldn’t help but be intrigued. The man had been quiet, almost scarily so, but then James’ typical bluster came out when he was feeling cocky after beating all of the other trainees, and Percival just smirked before taking him down mercilessly. Which is when Merlin told them that Percival was their best in hand-to-hand, prompting Percival to speak up for the first time since joining them.

“Don’t let Galahad hear you say that, Merlin. You know he prides himself on being the best in hand-to-hand.”

Merlin had simply rolled his eyes and muttered something only Percival could hear, causing Percival to smirk again before telling Lee he was next.

James was intrigued by the man’s… shyness. But shyness wasn’t the right word. He seemed almost… uncomfortable talking to most people but James realized it was because he didn’t want to talk to them. He was quiet, which somehow gave him an air of intimidation despite not doing or looking particularly intimidating, unless he was talking to Galahad or Merlin. It was then, although rare, that James noticed that Percival had an unexpected sense of humor. And James is surprised to find himself wanting to be one of the people Percival would joke with.

********

After becoming officially instated as Lancelot, it didn’t take James long to figure out that outside of Merlin, Galahad, and Percival, the other agents were wankers. They were the worst of his class as far as judging others goes, and James finally understood why Percival only cared to talk to Merlin and Galahad. Realizing that they were wankers, James had decided to make an effort to become friends with the only wit the only three that were not.

Despite originally being intimidated by Merlin, James had been able to become friends with the man fairly easily. With Galahad, James had been slightly nervous, thinking the man might hold a grudge for being the one to become Lancelot instead of Lee, but quickly found out that notion to be wrong and became friends with him – Harry – as easily as he had with Merlin. Percival, however, was a different story.

Knowing the man did not care for him, James was determined to become friends with the man. He went out of his way to spend time with Percival, doing his best to get the man to talk to him. Which sometimes worked and others didn’t. However, after doing this for a few weeks, Percival seemed to snap.

Deadly serious but without raising his voice at all, Percival cut James off in the middle of a sentence with his eyes narrowed, “Why are you so determined to get me to like you?”

“Because you aren’t a wanker like most everyone else here”, he told him simply.

Percival continued to stare holes into him and James swallowed. Perhaps annoying the man hadn’t been one of his best ideas, he realized. James always had been better at spontaneity rather than planning.

“Your straight-forward but funny when you want to be but you choose your friends sparingly which I find much more interesting than a bunch of snobs gossiping about each other,” James blurted out.

James blushed slightly but kept eye contact with Percival, in order to try and convey his sincerity. Percival looked at him for a moment longer and James began to think that perhaps getting this man to like him was a lost cause.

“Your friends with Harry, and he is quite the gossip.”

James blinked, not expecting the response, before slowly smiling, “True, but Harry and I enjoy the same type of gossip.”

Percival rolled his eyes, “Great. Now Merlin and I have to deal with two of you.”

James smiled wider, perhaps it wasn’t a lost cause.

**Author's Note:**

> Next story will be Percival's perspective on all of these, and will probably have a bit more detatils for some parts that feel like the have missing scenes. It will also include Roxy and Eggsy, so stay tuned!


End file.
